By: Emma Dabell 

The Winter Olympics have been successful for the United States teams. Six out of the 11 sports had received at least one gold medal for a total of 12 across all sports, breaking several records and earning the first gold medals in years from some sports. 

USOPC states that freestyle skiing got three gold medals. Speed skating, alpine skating, figure skating, and ice hockey all earned two gold medals. Bobsled ended up with one gold medal. 

For the first time in history, the women’s and men’s ice hockey teams won gold at the same Winter Olympics Games. The 2026 Winter Olympics was special for the men’s ice hockey team as it was their first time in 46 years to win a gold medal. Since 1980, the team has been put on standstill. 

Five-time Olympian bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor received her first-ever gold medal. At age 41, she became the oldest US woman to win an individual Winter Olympic medal.

Overall, there were eight athletes that won multiple gold medals, including figure skater Alysa Liu and speed skater Jordan Stolz. Liu won the first women’s figure skating gold medal since 2006. Stolz set two speed skating Olympic records in the 1000 meter and 500 meter skate.    

An article from NPR reported issues with this year’s medals. The American skier Breezy Johnson jumped with her medal on, and it broke off the ribbon. She warned people to not jump or do anything sudden with the medal on.  She was only one of the many others who reported their medals detaching from ribbon. There was only one report where the medal snapped in half. 

The price of the medals were three times the price they were two years ago. “If people work so hard to get and win the Olympics, then their medals shouldn’t be breaking,” junior Heidi Pummell said.